


Run Away (With the Stars and Moon as our Audience)

by RainCurtain



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Pirate Captain Choi Beomgyu, Prince Kang Taehyun, dancing underneath the stars, don't trust the summary I promise it's cute, wedding crashers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:34:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27951665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainCurtain/pseuds/RainCurtain
Summary: "Criminal Choi Beomgyu, is there anything you want to say before you are executed?"Beomgyu closed his eyes and smiled, "I regret nothing."Even if Beomgyu was given the chance to go back and change his decision, he would never change that fated meeting with his destiny.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun
Comments: 42
Kudos: 194





	Run Away (With the Stars and Moon as our Audience)

The older man sighed and tried to reason with the young male, "Taehyun-"

Taehyun shook his head, "I'm not getting married to the son of that aristocrat. I don't like him."

The older man was Taehyun's father and King of the kingdom. The King frowned, "Taehyun, you've known him since you were young. He's always been enamored by you and this alliance can help us in the long run."

Taehyun rolled his eyes and slouched back into his chair even more, "And? Just because I've known him since I was young doesn't mean I like him around."

The King had enough of his son and stood up, slamming his hand down on the table, "Enough! Listen to me for once in your life Kang Taehyun!"

Rage boiled inside Taehyun, "I have you tyrant! I've listened to you my whole life and you can't even give me the freedom of choosing my own partner! Fuck you, I'm going to leave!"

Taehyun moved to leave but the King tightly grabbed his arm and pulled his arm, pushing him onto the floor. Taehyun winced as the back of his head hit a table edge.

The King glared down at him, "Run away, and I will drag you back here. I'll make sure you never leave the castle walls. You will marry Alexander, whether you like it or not."

Taehyun grimaced, "Of course. Whenever things don't go your way you resort to violence."

The King snarled and yelled at him, "After that ridiculous stunt last year I can't even trust my own son anymore!"

Taehyun's eyes hardened and he rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bump forming, "She didn't deserve the cruelty she had to face. If I had another chance, I would do the same thing."

The King had enough of him and left the room, slamming the door shut. Taehyun slowly stood up, feeling a little dizzy from the hit on his head.

He walked to his door and tried to open it but as expected it wouldn't open. Taehyun muttered, "Of fucking course he locked it."

Taehyun glanced out the window and shrugged, "I guess I'll have to do it the old fashioned way then."

Taehyun resided on the third floor of the castle. Honestly, it wasn't even that far of a jump. He might not break his leg if he jumped from the window right now, but he wouldn't get very far if he hurt himself.

No, Taehyun was not kidding when he said he was going to leave. Oh no, he was done. That was the last straw for him. 

Taehyun was going to Run Away.

He laughed evilly and took his mattress off his bed. Honestly, he had been planning something like this for awhile now in the case that something happened which actually spurred him to run away. Like now.

Taehyun had a bunch of mattresses and cushions stored in his room for absolutely no reason. He took all of those and once they were prepared, he slammed his window open.

Taehyun hastily put on a cloak and changed into less noticeable clothes. He threw the cushions and mattresses out the window and jumped down immediately, bouncing off the springs.

As soon as he was down, he was out. He ran and ran and ran until he reached the port. No one recognized him, since he was holding his hood close to his face.

Taehyun frantically looked for any ships docked and sighed in relief seeing that there was only one.

He rushed over and began speaking quickly to one of the sailors, "Hi, um, can I come aboard?"

The man squinted his eyes at him and laughed heartily, "Listen, brat. Do you even know who we are?"

Taehyun winced as a loud bell rang, signaling that they found him missing. He tried to push past the male, "Please, I need to go!"

The male wouldn't let him budge and the two of them struggled with each other. Time was ticking and Taehyun resorted to dirty tactics.

He bit the man's arm and the man screamed, alerting the attention of everyone else on the ship. Someone rushed to jump off the boat and help the man. 

Taehyun clung onto the man even more and bit him harder. Taehyun was forcibly ruled off the man and he spat onto the port deck. 

"What's with all the commotion?"

Taehyun's head whipped towards the new voice and he froze upon recognizing the male. Who wouldn't? Captain of the ship, "Tomorrow," he was a pesky insect that his father tried to crush many times but failed to do so. 

Choi Beomgyu. The pirate's face was on wanted posters all over the kingdom, but none of them did justice to all of his handsome features.

He took off his hood and Beomgyu eyes widened at the sight of him. He heard yelling coming from the town and he was in a big rush now.

"My name is Kang Taehyun! The prince of the kingdom! You can sell me to some other country or use me as a ransom just take me away from here!"

Beomgyu's eyes hardened and he motioned towards his boat, "Everyone get back on the ship. Set sail immediately."

Taehyun was surprised that the pirate would let him on that easily but then he realized that he would be very beneficial to the man.

Beomgyu walked over to him and pulled him on board by the arm and Taehyun inwardly gulped. The older male dragged him to the Captain's quarters and threw him onto the bed.

Beomgyu pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Taehyun with a scary looking smile on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, "Now, let's talk shall we?"

Taehyun gulped and reflexively shimmered backwards on the bed, slowly nodding. Beomgyu stated, "You can stay on this ship."

Taehyun was surprised, "Really? You're not going to ask me to do anything?" 

Beongyu shook his head with a smile, "I've heard about you from someone important to me. I owe you a big one."

Taehyun tilted his head and asked, "What do you mean?"

Beomgyu laughed loudly and Taehyun winced at the sound, "You helped my sister escape that palace."

Taehyun froze at that and he whispered quietly, "How did you know-"

Taehyun's eyes widened in realization, "Are you Eunmi noona's younger brother?!"

Beomgyu grinned and exclaimed, "The one and only!"

Taehyun smiled at that and excitedly asked, "How is she doing? Did she make it out safely? They told me they found her and executed her."

Beomgyu's eyes widened, "What?! No! She's in a different country now. She married a nice man and she's having a baby! I'm going to be an uncle soon."

Taehyun felt a weight lift over his shoulders at the news. He sighed out in relief, "Thank goodness. I'm glad she's happy."

Choi Eunmi. Taehyun remembered her. She was the reason Taehyun's father lost the "trust" he had in him which he never had since the beginning.

Eunmi was Taehyun's maid and she was so kind. Taehyun hated seeing her being bullied and trampled upon whenever people of higher ranking visited his castle. 

So Taehyun helped her escape. 

  
  


_Today was the day. It was the darkest time of night and Taehyun quietly grabbed a lantern and cloak. He picked up the bag of supplies he had prepared the night before and headed out to the servant's quarters._

_The light of his lantern was faint and he remained completely hidden by the veil of darkness and the black cloak he was wearing._

_He tiptoed over to the servant's quarters windows and knocked on it quietly. Not too long after, Eunmi came out. It was a little game he played with her when he was little._

_She looked surprised by him and he silently signaled her to come outside with his hands. She nodded with a serious face and Taehyun patiently waited for her arrival._

_It didn't take long._

_"Taehyun-ah, what are you doing here-"_

_Taehyun took off his cloak and wrapped it around her. He gave her the backpack and lantern. He urgently said, "Shh. We're running away. At least you are."_

_Eunmi frowned, "Taehyun-" She paused upon looking at the stubborn look on his face. She sighed and smiled at him, rubbing his hair with her hand._

_"Okay, I know somewhere I can go."_

_Taehyun grinned and urged her, "Stay safe, noona. I'll create a distraction."_

_Eunmi nodded and headed off into the night. That was the last Taehyun had seen of her._

"So, why did you run away?"

Taehyun snapped back to reality when the pirate spoke and he shrugged, "Just don't want to marry this guy my dad wants me to. I'm barely twenty."

Beomgyu hummed, looking like he was thinking about something, "To be fair a lot of people get married earlier. Where do you want to go? What places do you want to see?"

Taehyun was surprised by this bombardment of questions and he felt a little shy, "Well… to be honest with you, I don't know. Have you heard of Rainbow Cove? I heard it's really pretty and the gems extracted from the mine there can grant wishes. I just want to see what it looks like."

Beomgyu grinned, “Alright then! First stop is Rainbow Cove!"

  
  
Taehyun clicked with Beomgyu. It was easy considering they were both outgoing males and the only people on the ship who were close in age. 

Beomgyu was just easy to be around. He seemed nothing like the villainous captain of the seas everyone had depicted him to be, so Taehyun asked him something.

Taehyun was resting his head on a table and playing with a compass in his hand, “Hey, how did Beomgyu earn his reputation?”  
  
A hearty laugh that wasn’t Beomgyu’s was heard and Taehyun looked up to see that it was from one of the burly men that was part of Beomgyu’s crew.

Oh, that’s another thing. Maybe it was because he always acted a little unbehaving of a prince, but he got along with everyone on the ship very well. They were a lot nicer than they looked.  
  
The crewmate wheezed, “Oh, if only you knew-”  
  
Taehyun and the man both gulped as Beomgyu suddenly turned around to glare at the man. Taehyun was flabbergasted, _‘How did he even hear him?!’_

The burly man awkwardly laughed and excused himself. Beomgyu walked over with a cold smile and Taehyun’s heart started beating out of his chest. Obviously because he was scared and not because the look was attractive on the older male or anything. 

Beomgyu asked menacingly, “That asshole didn’t say anything, did he?”  
  
Taehyun quickly shook his head and Beomgyu’s expression relaxed. He let out a sigh of relief and mumbled to himself. It was probably not meant for Taehyun to hear but how could he not when the pirate was literally a few inches from where he was sitting at the table, “Good, good…”  
  
That’s when it hit him. Taehyun frowned, thinking, _‘I really know nothing about Beomgyu, huh?’_

Taehyun stood up and began talking to Beomgyu so quickly his words slurred a bit, “What’s your favorite color? Where were you born? What day were you born? Do you have any other relatives besides your sister? When’s the last time you visited her? Do you have any diseases?”  
  
Beomgyu looked very affronted at all the questions being thrown at him, but he quickly defended himself hearing the last one, “Hey! I don’t have any diseases brat! If I did I would have made sure that you caught it by now.”

Taehyun shrugged, “Okay, but I just want to know more about you.”  
  
Taehyun looked at Beomgyu with wide eyes and Beomgyu gulped. The two of them retained eye contact, but how could Beomgyu say no to that look?  
  
He sighed and the two went to Beomgyu’s captain quarters and sat on the bed. Beomgyu willingly gave Taehyun his bed and Taehyun tried to deny him but Beomgyu insisted. Beomgyu slept with his crew for one day before moving back into his captain quarters with Taehyun, deciding it was a better choice to just take the couch. 

They talked for a long time. Taehyun couldn’t remember how many hours passed, but he knew he passed out sometime last night. However, the words Beomgyu had said to him the night before were still fresh on his mind when he woke up.

“You know, you’re everything and more of what my sister told me about you.”  
  
That meant something good, right? Thus, Taehyun became more confident in himself. Rainbow Cove was a far ways away and Taehyun was bored. 

Beomgyu, on one sunny day, decided to spar him. Taehyun blinked at him and straight out refused him, "No."

Beomgyu was surprised and he quickly asked, "What?! Why?! That's not fair!"

Taehyun rolled his eyes and stubbornly said, "No. Teach me how to use that revolver and then I'll consider it."

Beomgyu eyed the revolver on his belt and smirked. His eyes radiated confidence, competition, and maybe a little something more.

"Deal, only if I get personal lessons from the beautiful prince himself."

Taehyun flushed and he smacked Beomgyu on the chest, “Don’t say it like that! And fine, deal.”

The rest of the crew was used to their flirting and fighting and promptly ignored the two. They went back to their duties and Taehyun took a nap.

“Wrong.”  
  
Beomgyu groaned in frustration, “Then come and fix it smartass.”  
  
Taehyun sighed and walked over to Beomgyu. He corrected his stance and walked back to his previous spot where he was observing, “Again.”  
  
Beomgyu swung and Taehyun had to give him a round of applause. He was a quick learner. Beomgyu grinned and took a quick swig of water from the canteen at his waist. He stretched his limbs and grabbed the ends of his t-shirt.

Beomgyu started to pull the fabric over his head and Taehyun was quick to whip around and look anywhere but Beomgyu. He did however, manage to get a glimpse of a toned stomach. 

Beomgyu chuckled and said, “You can look now.”  
  
Taehyun turned around and sighed in relief seeing that Beomgyu now had his shirt back on. Taehyun rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, “Why were you even taking off your shirt? It’s nighttime and it’s cold.”  
  
Beomgyu raised an eyebrow, “You’re cold? Why didn’t you just say so?”  
  
Beomgyu grabbed his overcoat that was sitting on a barrel next to their only source of light which was a bright lantern.

He tossed it at Taehyun who easily caught it. They were practically the same size so it was an easy fit. It was warm and smelled like Beomgyu. The scent of coconut.

Taehyun slapped his cheeks and shook his head with a red face. He thought to himself, _‘Stop thinking these things! It’s weird.’_

Taehyun shook his thoughts away and frowned but it looked more like a pout, “Your turn. Give me the gun.”  
  
Beomgyu clicked his tongue and teasingly waved his finger in front of Taehyun. Taehyun glared at him and tried to bite his finger, but Beomgyu swiftly grabbed Taehyun by the waist and pulled him closer, gently grabbing his chin in his other hand. 

Taehyun swore he stopped breathing in that moment. Beomgyu was looking at him so intently. To his surprise, Beomgyu smiled and kept his hand on Taehyun’s waist, moving his other one to Taehyun’s shoulder.

He slowly started swinging them around and Taehyun figured out what he was doing. They were dancing. Taehyun relaxed and moved along with Beomgyu to the point they looked like one complete pair.  
  
The moon was high up in the sky and was shining down on the deck of the boat and the pair were dancing together with no other care in the world.

Unbeknownst to them, one of the crew mates had woken up and walked to the deck of the boat to get some fresh air. His eyes widened at the sight and quickly retreated back to the bottom of the boat. 

After all, he didn’t want to get scolded and yelled at by his captain for interrupting his moment with the prince for hours straight. 

That night was magical and Taehyun couldn’t get it out of his mind. Now everytime he and Beomgyu met eyes whenever they crossed paths there was some type of spark between them. A feeling of intimacy. 

More often than not, Taehyun and Beomgyu would have deep and long conversations in the captain’s quarters at night. 

The only exception being if that one of them or both were too tired and fell asleep as soon as they reached their sleeping places. 

So it was natural for Taehyun to feel a little disappointed when Rainbow Cove appeared in sight. He was leaning over the railing and observing the tiny island that was growing nearer and nearer. 

He had been thinking these past few days. What if he was catching feelings? It wouldn't be impossible.

Beomgyu was very, very handsome, but Taehyun was just… Taehyun. He held nothing but a title that was only used so he would be married off. Thinking about it like that, was Taehyun a burden?

A frown appeared on Taehyun's face and Beomgyu swiftly walked over seeing the younger male was upset.

Beomgyu asked Taehyun, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Taehyun turned to him and stared for a while. His eyes trailed to Beomgyu's lips for a split second before he looked Beomgyu straight in the eyes.

It sounded more depressing than he thought now that he said it, "Am I a burden to you? I feel like you're putting up with me out of gratitude."

Beomgyu’s eyes hardened and he frowned, “Don’t make me smack you Kang Taehyun. Where did you even come to that conclusion?”  
  
Taehyun sighed and rested his head on his hand, “Yeah… you’re right. I don’t know, sometimes it’s just easier to not think, ya know?”  
  
Beomgyu hummed in agreement and things remained silent between the two for a good while. Taehyun wasn’t able to see, but Beomgyu’s lips turned upwards into an affectionate one. He heartily laughed and ran his fingers through Taehyun’s hair, messing it up.

Taehyun whined and shoved his hand away, “Hey, stop that!”  
  
Beomgyu grinned and messed Taehyun’s hair up even further. They were stopped when one of Beomgyu’s crew members carefully approached them with a light cough. Taehyun turned to them in curiosity and they gulped seeing Beomgyu’s expression from behind him. 

The pirate was malding and he had a scary expression on his face. The crewmate squeaked out, “U-Uhm, we’ve arrived sirs!”

Taehyun’s eyes brightened and he ran off immediately but paused and turned around with a big smile on his face. He bowed and said, “Thank you! Just call me Taehyun!”

Beomgyu waved Taehyun away with a smile. He made sure the boy was completely out of sight before turning around and glaring at his crew member, “Let’s have a chat when we get back on the ship, shall we?”

  
  


Taehyun was amazed. He had always loved looking at the sea, but his father always forced him to stay away, because it was "dangerous".

Absolute bullshit.

Rainbow Cove was everything he had heard of. Excitement gleamed in his eyes and he had a pep in his step. Beomgyu was slowly trailing behind him with a pleased smile on his face.

It was nice. Until Beomgyu grabbed his wrist and pulled him into an alley, slamming him into the brick wall.

Taehyun winced at the pain but his face quickly flushed seeing how the older's lips were on his in the next moment, and his arms were blocking the view of Taehyun's face and hair.

Beomgyu didn't move. He stared at Taehyun straight in the eyes and Taehyun shuddered at the seriousness in them.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Beomgyu let go of him. Taehyun took a deep breath and placed a hand over his heart which was beating rapidly.

He stuttered out, "W-What-"

Beomgyu frowned, "Guards. We have to leave now."

So that's what happened. Taehyun nodded upon realizing the seriousness of the situation at hand, but he tugged on the edge of Beomgyu’s sleeve, making the pirate captain turn around.

Taehyun looked at him with a steadfast expression, "But we're discussing this when we get out of here."

Beomgyu smiled, "Of course." He reached for Taehyun's hand and tightly grabbed it, whispering, "Stick close to me. We're making a run for it."

Taehyun didn't even have time to prepare himself before he was dragged along by Beomgyu out on the streets.

Neither of them had been recognized yet, but it was only a matter of time. Taehyun kept his head ducked. He trusted Beomgyu to lead the way.

Taehyun's anxiety only grew hearing voices shouting at the villagers and tourists to get out of the way and heavy footsteps.

Taehyun looked at Beomgyu with frantic eyes, knowing that they had been caught. However, Taehyun was confused. 

They were so far from the kingdom, how did they even know about Taehyun? 

The thought scared him, but right now he had to focus on getting out of Rainbow Cove with both of them alive.

Taehyun screamed when he heard a loud bang and something whizzing past them. Beomgyu cursed and shoved Taehyun ahead of him.

He took his revolver from its holder on his belt and ordered Taehyun, "Taehyun, go to the boat and tell the others to get ready to leave now!"

Taehyun frowned and yelled back, "I can't leave you!"

Beomgyu looked back at Taehyun with a smirk and quickly swooped down for a brief kiss on Taehyun’s lips. He winked and had a confident smile on his face, "I think you forgot who I am."

With that, Beomgyu pushed Taehyun to the ground just as a bullet shot right over their heads. Taehyun scrambled to his feet and ran away, casting one last very concerned look at the pirate captain.

He rushed to the port and saw the ship in the distance. His eyes brightened and he was about to contact the people on the ship, but he was suddenly yanked back. He struggled against the man’s grip as they muffled Taehyun’s sounds by clasping their hand over Taehyun’s mouth.  
  
A vein popped on Taehyun’s forehead and out of spite and pure adrenaline, Taehyun bit his attacker’s hand and threw him off of him, pushing him into the water.

The man fell into the water with a splash and Taehyun childishly stuck his tongue out at the male before running to the ship. Taehyun didn’t even have to tell the crew anything. It’s like they just knew seeing Taehyun running towards them with Beomgyu nowhere in sight. 

All at once the crew scrambled around in a somehow organized manner to get the ship up and running and ready to go. 

Taehyun stood awkwardly on the deck, not quite knowing what to do but stand out of the way. When the boat was ready, Taehyun spotted a figure running towards them haphazardly. 

The familiar figure was being chased by a large mob of soldiers and looked very panicked. Beomgyu was wildly shooting behind him, surprisingly accurate for shooting while running.

The two of them locked eyes and Taehyun yelled at one of the crew, “Pull the plank up and get going!”  
  
The crew hesitated but Taehyun confidently spoke with a serious expression, “Trust in me.”  
  
Taehyun ran towards the front of the boat and screamed at Beomgyu, “Beomgyu, jump!”  
  
Beomgyu looked up at him and grinned, not hesitating to leap off the end of the port and instantly grabbing onto Taehyun’s hands. Taehyun hauled Beomgyu up onto the ship which had already begun to set off. 

Beomgyu laughed and Taehyun glared at him with a pout, “Why are you laughing?! You could’ve died, or worse, get caught by them and executed!”  
  
Beomgyu couldn’t stop laughing and Taehyun rolled his eyes, yanking on Beomgyu’s collar and pulling him forward to kiss him.

Taehyun separated from him and buried his face into Beomgyu’s neck, “You fucker, don’t ever do that again. You scared the hell out of me.”  
  
Beomgyu smiled and rubbed calming circles onto Taehyun’s back. Once again, the crew minded their own business and pretended that the over affectionate love birds standing in the middle of the deck weren’t there. 

Taehyun dragged Beomgyu to the captain’s quarters and they sat on the bed, facing each other. Taehyun spoke first, “Listen, I’ll be honest. I’m not that good at expressing my emotions through my words and I’m more of an action first type of guy, so I’m going to cut this short. I like you.”  
  
Beomgyu blinked and sighed disappointedly, “Ah… and here I was hoping I’d get a more romantic confession out of you. I don’t know something with pretty lights, a handmade picnic under the sky, or a midnight excursion into-”

Taehyun blushed and angrily yelled, “I’m already embarrassed as is, so take it or leave it! Gosh, just tell me if you don’t like me back-”  
  
Beomgyu silenced Taehyun by pressing his index finger against his soft, plush lips. The older male had an upset look on his face, “How did you even come to that conclusion? I kissed you first-”  
  
Taehyun cut in, “That’s because we were hiding from the guards.”

Beomgyu glared at Taehyun, “Don’t interrupt me. Let me finish. Besides, what about all the other times I kissed you then?! Was that not enough to convince you that I have feelings towards you too?!”  
  
Taehyun bit his lip, “So… do you like me too?”  
  
Beomgyu rolled his eyes before a mischievous look flickered in his eyes. Uh oh.

Beomgyu licked his lips and leaned in, “Well like you… I also like to speak with my actions.”  
  
Beomgyu closed the distance in between them and pressed their lips together. Taehyun should have expected this, but he was still very shocked. 

Beomgyu fished something out of his back pocket and instructed Taehyun, “Turn around. I got you a gift while I was escaping back there.”  
  
Taehyun rolled his eyes but did as he was told, “I can’t believe you-”  
  
Taehyun froze when he felt something cold slide along his neck and a few short moments later there was a faint click. He gasped and held the newly acquired necklace in his hands.  
  
He softly said, “Wow… I didn’t even tell you I wanted one...”

Beomgyu shrugged and leaned back on the bed with his arms crossed behind his back, “Well, you told me so many stories about how these gems can grant wishes, so I figured you wanted one. Such a shame, I wanted to shop and pick one out for you but as you can see that didn’t turn out too well.”  
  
Taehyun hopped on top of Beomgyu, the older male letting out a loud oof. Taehyun glared at him and smacked his chest, exclaimed angrily, "Hey, I'm not even that heavy!"

But a few seconds later he was snuggling into Beomgyu’s side, curled up against him. Things stayed silent between the two of them before Beomgyu broke that peaceful silence, "When did you realize you were falling in love with me?"

Taehyun instantly answered, "The night we danced underneath the sky with only the stars and moon as our audience."

Beomgyu chuckled, carding his fingers through Taehyun’s hair, "Cute."

Taehyun looked up at Beomgyu from where he was resting at his side, "What about you? When did you start having feelings for me?"

Beomgyu stayed silent, pondering over his answer for a while, "Since my sister told me about you."

Taehyun shot up from his spot, eyes blown wide, "What?! We didn't even know each other back then-"

Beomgyu laughed and pulled Taehyun back down, the younger boy now resting on top of his chest.

"Just the stories enough made me fall in love with you. I've always wanted to meet you Kang Taehyun, and you were the only person I've ever considered having a future with. Besides, my sister would never lie to me. If she hates a person she'd tell the bad stuff about them. Likewise in your case, she told me all the wonderful things about you, because you are such a wonderful person, Kang Taehyun."

Taehyun blushed and muttered out, "Gosh, this is so embarrassing…"

Beomgyu chuckled, "Get some rest. I think tonight I want to teach you something."

It wasn't hard, falling asleep that was. Not when he was held in the strong arms of one Choi Beomgyu, making him feel warm and safe like no other.

"Are you kidding me?"

Taehyun had an upset pout on his face and he had his arms crossed, clearly not happy with his newly appointed boyfriend. 

Beomgyu tilted his head in confusion, not quite understanding why Taehyun was upset. He cocked his gun and asked, "But didn't you want me to teach you how to shoot?"

Taehyun bit his lip at that. He sighed and closed his eyes momentarily, "Okay, that's true. I just thought we were doing something more romantic."

Beomgyu hummed and threw Taehyun a thumbs up, "Alright, I'll keep that in mind. I wouldn't have taken you to be such a romanticist."

Beomgyu walked over to Taehyun and placed the gun in his hand. He gave him a thumbs up, "Okay, pull the trigger."

Taehyun frowned, "At what? There's nothing here?"

Beomgyu grumbled and scratched his head, "Ah… that's what I was forgetting. Sorry all of this is kind of rushed, since it's a last minute thing."

Beomgyu quickly grabbed a few barrels and picked up some empty beer bottles, lining them up on the barrels.

Beomgyu grinned and moved back to Taehyun's side, "Okay! Now shoot!"

The corners of Taehyun's lips twitched, "Shoot how? Come on, you're supposed to be teaching me."

Nonetheless, Taehyun did his best and aimed at one of the bottles. Only, nothing happened.

Taehyun frowned at the gun in his hand, "Gyu, I think there's something wrong with your gun."

Beomgyu walked over and inspected his gun in his hands after taking it from Taehyun, "Huh, that's weird. Oh, nevermind, you forgot to pull the safety trigger."

Taehyun groaned, "How am I supposed to know these things if you don't tell me what to do!"

Beomgyu shrugged and calmed Taehyun down, "Alright, alright. Calm down kitten, I'll teach you properly now."

Taehyun bristled at the pet name, but Beomgyu took the gun from his hands and without a single ounce of hesitation he fired at his target and shot, not flinching at the sound.

Unlike Taehyun who jolted at the sound and clung onto Beomgyu’s sleeve. He should have expected it, but he was not expecting it to be that loud.

Beomgyu grinned and handed Taehyun the gun, "There! Just like that!"

Taehyun stared at the gun in his hand blankly and Beomgyu sighed, moving to stand behind him.

He stood behind Taehyun and adjusted Taehyun's firing stance properly. Beomgyu continued explaining, "So, you align your target with this metal piece at the top. Don't pull the trigger too hard. It'll mess up your accuracy."

Beomgyu stepped away from Taehyun and Taehyun took a deep breath before closing his eyes and pulling the trigger.

He almost fell back because of the recoil, but Beomgyu was there to catch him. Beomgyu smiled and praised, "You did good. Look."

Taehyun opened his eyes and his eyes widened at the sight of broken glass shards on the deck. He whispered, "Wow…"

Beomgyu patted Taehyun on the head and took the gun from his hand. He seemed to be thinking over something before smiling.

He pulled his revolver from his belt and placed it in Taehyun's hands. Taehyun took it with a curious look on his face, "Why are you giving me this?"

Beomgyu grinned, "Happy one day anniversary! A gift from me to you, so you can protect yourself!"

Well… that was awfully endearingly and obviously last minute, but Taehyun wasn't complaining. 

Taehyun thanked Beomgyu and the two practiced a few more rounds of shooting. Beomgyu’s revolver never left Taehyun's side. He made sure to always keep it hidden in his boot, just in case of emergencies. 

"Where do we go from here?"

Beomgyu looked at Taehyun. They were laying down in bed and Beomgyu asked with a small smile on his face, "Where do you want to go?"

Taehyun rolled over on his back and shrugged, "I don't know. I only ever wanted to go to one place and we didn't stay there for long because of obvious reasons."

Beomgyu hummed, "Well then I hope you don't mind us making a pit stop to restock our supplies."

Taehyun shrugged, "Go for it. I don't really care."

Beomgyu pouted and childishly smacked Taehyun, "Gosh, you're no fun."

Taehyun glared at him and smacked him back. The two of them hit each other back and forth until Beomgyu hissed in pain, "Okay, fine! You win, now stop!"

Taehyun rolled his eyes, "Wake me up when we get there. I want to help."

Beomgyu cooed and pinched Taehyun's cheek, "Such a baby!"

Taehyun shot up from his spot to attack Beomgyu, but the older male had reacted quickly and was already running off.

Taehyun huffed, "He's so childish. What did I see in him?"

Taehyun winced as a bullet flew over his head. God, how did it even come to this? 

Beomgyu, Taehyun, and his crew were supposed to make a quick run for supplies, but along the way they encountered trouble.

Once again, they were spotted by guards, and Taehyun was still confused. They were even further out from Rainbow Cove, so why were they still after him?

Beomgyu and Taehyun had long since separated from the crew to distract their pursuers, but these people were more experienced.

Beomgyu and Taehyun had barely managed to get away and were currently hiding. However, they couldn't leave the crate in which they were hiding behind, because there were guards everywhere.

Taehyun jolted when Beomgyu wrapped his hands around his waist. Beomgyu had a hardened expression on his face and Taehyun quietly yelped when Beomgyu picked him up and carried him into the crate.

He smiled softly at Taehyun and rubbed Taehyun’s head gently before leaning in to briefly kiss him. He whispered, "I'm sorry. Stay safe."

Taehyun was forcibly shoved down into the box and he hit against the lid of the crate as something heavy was put on top of it so that it wouldn't move.

Taehyun shoved against the top of the lid, but it wouldn’t budge. He froze as he heard shouting outside, “We caught the vagrant!”  
  
Taehyun gritted his teeth and peeked through the cracks of the crate to see what was happening. His eyes widened at the sight of Beomgyu being pinned to the floor with swords pointed at him. 

A person stopped in front of Beomgyu. He looked to be of high military status by the looks of it. That man stepped on Beomgyu’s head, pressing it against the floor.  
  
“Your head has a hefty amount on it. Escort him to the holding cell. The King and his company personally want to be present for this criminal’s execution.”

Beomgyu was dragged to his feet and the guards walked away. Taehyun waited until they were completely gone to get himself out of this damn box. He shook himself until he managed to topple the box over, throwing whatever Beomgyu had placed on top of the lid off. 

Taehyun rushed to his feet but quickly sat down while remaining hidden. He bit his hand in thought.

They weren’t going to execute Beomgyu just yet. From what that man had said earlier, they were going to wait for Taehyun’s father and whoever his “company” was to arrive to watch Beomgyu’s execution.  
  
Taehyun wanted to throw up at just the thought of it. How could he be related to a man so cruel?  
  
Taehyun silently knew what he had to do, and he would have to get Beomgyu’s crew to listen to him too. It was the only way to make sure the two of them got out alive. 

Even if it was at the cost of Taehyun’s happiness.

“Criminal Choi Beomgyu, is there anything you want to say before you are executed?"

Beomgyu closed his eyes and smiled, "I regret nothing."

And he didn’t. These past few weeks of knowing Taehyun, he regretted nothing. As long as the younger male was free from the iron grip of his father, Beomgyu would be content. 

Beomgyu looked up at the sky from the platform he was standing on. He wouldn’t look at the King. He wouldn’t look at the man that had made his happiness suffer for so long. He wouldn’t even glance at the man who indirectly hurt his sister. 

Even if Beomgyu was given the chance to go back and change his decision, he would never change that fated meeting with his destiny.

The man raised his hand and began the countdown. Beomgyu stopped looking at the sky and instead chose to glare at the male who had ruined his life and his future. The King had an arrogant grin on his face and was smirking. Beomgyu gritted his teeth, his resentment for this monster increasing tenfold. 

Beomgyu closed his eyes as he heard the announcer reach the end of the countdown, ready to accept his fate. 

“Stop!”  
  
Beomgyu’s eyes widened, instantly recognizing that voice. His eyes whipped towards the direction he had heard it come from and the King shot up from his seat.  
  
Taehyun was standing not too far from the execution grounds and he threw off his cloak that he was using to hide himself from the crowd. People made way for him and the boy reached for his boot.  
  
Taehyun’s father frowned, “Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused? Come to me right now. Alexander has been concerned about your safety.”  
  
Taehyun said nothing and blankly stared at his father. Everyone’s eyes widened as the prince pulled Beomgyu’s revolver out of his boot pocket, pressing it against the side of his head. Taehyun pressed down the safety lock and stared his father straight in the eyes.

But there was no fear, only honest courage that was required to pull off what he was doing right now. Beomgyu struggled against his binds and screamed, “Taehyun! What are you doing?! Put that down!”  
  
The King looked anxious and he held his hands up. Taehyun spoke up, “Let Beomgyu go and I’ll go with you. Execute Beomgyu and I die with him. I think your decision should be rather simple, right? After all, you need me."

The King grimaced and he stayed silent for a while. A minute passed and the King waved his hand towards the executioner, “Let the savage go.”

Beomgyu’s hands were tied and he rushed to run to Taehyun, but he was stopped by hands pulling him back. He looked back to see two of his crew members with hardened expressions on their faces.

He thrashed in their grasps and screamed at them, “Let me go! I am your captain! Listen to me!”  
  
Taehyun smiled at the crewmates and nodded his head, “Take him far away from here. Goodbye, Beomgyu. May you be happy.”  
  
Beomgyu was thrown over one of their shoulders and his heart broke seeing Taehyun set down the gun, instantly being swarmed by guards who confiscated the weapon.

Beomgyu screamed and hit against his crew’s back as hard as he could, but the man wouldn’t budge. “Let me go! He’s being taken away! Let me go, dammit!”  
  
But they didn’t and before he knew it Beomgyu was being dragged onto the boat and being tied down. He yelled and glared at his crew, “You fuckers! I’m your captain, listen to me goddammit!”  
  
His crew were whispering amongst each other and one of them hesitantly stepped up, “The prince instructed us to take you as far away as we could…”  
  
Beomgyu gritted his teeth and slammed his head back on the wooden floor, “Fuck! Taehyun what are you doing…?”

“The wedding will commence as soon as we get home. I’ll allow you one day to rest and freshen up when we return home. As per tradition, the to be wedded will not see each other until the wedding ceremony.”

Taehyun silently nodded. It’s not like he could do anything. His hands were tied behind his back. His gun, no, Beomgyu’s gun was confiscated from him, and he was basically a prisoner on this boat. 

His father left his room and Taehyun sank back on the old, creaky makeshift bed onboard the ship. He closed his eyes and felt sad knowing that he wouldn’t even be able to take a glimpse at the night sky.

Beomgyu frowned at the message posted on the board of the town they were stopping at. The message was practically taunting him and his hands clenched into fists. 

Beomgyu tore the message from the board and ripped it apart. He marched off with the remnants of the paper and headed back to his ship.

As soon as he stepped foot on the deck he ordered with blazing fires in his eyes, “Get ready to leave immediately! We have a wedding to crash!”  
  
The crew, happy to see their old captain back, cheered and immediately started preparing the ship to leave. If they left now they would barely have enough time to make it to Taehyun’s wedding. 

  
“Wah… you look so pretty, your majesty!”  
  
Taehyun strained a smile, dark bags under his eyes that were still visible even after his maid tried to hide them. He was tired and had managed to get no sleep the night before. He was so used to being on the sea, it felt weird to suddenly be on a non-moving platform.

His voice was a little croaky from not using it in a few days, “Thanks…”

This maid was too chatty for his liking, “It’s not everyday you get married to a wealthy son of an aristocrat! Aren’t you excited, your majesty?! Oh, and I heard you’ve known him since childhood! It’s just like those fairytales and I bet in a few years picturebooks of your happy marriage will be going around town.”  
  
Taehyun hummed, tracing his fingers along the edges of the gem Beomgyu had stolen for him back in Rainbow Cove. He smiled at the memories, eyes starting to water. 

The maid rushed to wipe them away, still blissfully ignorant to the pain Taehyun was in, “Don’t cry your majesty! It’s a happy occasion!”  
  
Taehyun whispered softly, “And one I can do without.”  
  
The maid pulled him to his feet and squealed loudly, “Just on time! Do you hear the wedding bells? Your special day is about to start.”  
  
Taehyun wordlessly nodded and snatched up the bouquet of flowers on the table unceremoniously. His nose scrunched up at the smell of the roses, finding it too overpowering with the scent mixing with his already rose scented perfume. 

Taehyun was led through a series of hallways and stopped in front of a big set of grand doors with intricate designs carved into them. Not that he cared. 

Taehyun took a deep breath as the doors were opened. He didn’t care for the music or the light gasps upon his arrival. Taehyun frowned, it seemed that even as terrible as he felt people thought he was still beautiful. 

Taehyun ignored the practicality of a normal wedding and took large steps to the center of the stage where his groom was waiting for him with a smile on his face. Of course, his engaged, Alexander. 

Gosh, was it too late to run out?

When they first met, Taehyun was seven and the older boy was twelve. Yet, somehow Alexander was completely enamored with him at first sight and always made countless, pointless visits with many gifts.

Taehyun never liked him. Taehyun’s face was emotionless as he took his place next to Alexander on the stage.

Alexander smiled down at him and caressed his cheek. Taehyun forced himself to ignore his internal screaming and the uncomfortable feeling. 

“Kang Taehyun, you look lovely as ever.”  
  
Taehyun shoved his hand away from his face and looked down. He quietly said, “Let’s get this over with, please.”  
  
Alexander frowned but later smiled and wrapped his arm around Taehyun’s shoulder, directing them towards the crowd.

He grinned and loudly announced, “Today is a wonderful day of union for the royal Kang family and the De Louis! In this holy union, I will have not only been bestowed a beautiful husband, but we will have connected our families by blood!”  
  
There was a loud round of applause and Taehyun’s hands clenched into fists on his pants. He remained silent, allowing his soon to be husband to finish his speech. 

Taehyun kind of zoned and before he knew it, Alexander was facing him again and was leaning down for a kiss. Taehyun froze up and he felt his whole body trembling.

_‘No, I don’t want this.’_

At that moment, a loud crash was heard from above and the attendees started screaming. Taehyun’s eyes widened and he looked up just in time to see Beomgyu descend from the top of the ceiling to dropkick Alexander in the face.  
  
He growled and the sound alone sent a shiver up Taehyun’s spine, “Get your filthy hands off of him.”  
  
Beomgyu turned to Taehyun with eyes filled with anger and yelled at him, “And you! What type of stunt was that?! Don’t you ever do that again!”  
  
Taehyun couldn’t help but snort loudly, his hand reflexively reaching up to hide his mouth from you. It quickly changed to a series of giggles and Beomgyu’s eyes softened.  
  
The pirate captain smiled and extended his arm for Taehyun to take, “Run away with me?”  
  
Taehyun smiled and threw himself in Beomgyu’s arms, “Anytime.”  
  
Beomgyu kissed Taehyun on top of the head and yanked on the rope that he had used to jump off the ceiling from. Taehyun yelped as they were lifted from the floor and into the air. He rolled his eyes and said, “That was an overly dramatic entrance.”  
  
Beomgyu grinned, “And this, my dear, is an overly dramatic exit.”  
  
They were hauled to the roof and when they emerged Taehyun couldn’t help but double over in laughter at the group of men who looked physically exhausted. Beomgyu must’ve chewed their ears off with his yelling, but he was glad to see all the familiar faces.

Beomgyu started running with Taehyun in tow and Taehyun knew there was nowhere safer than right there at Beomgyu’s side.  
  
Later that night when they returned to the boat and when they were alone, Beomgyu slow danced him around the deck once more. Humming softly in Taehyun’s ear. He quietly asked, “Where do you want to go?”  
  
Taehyun hummed, “I don’t know. Maybe go visit Eunmi noona? We can go see your nephew.”  
  
Beomgyu smiled, “That sounds nice.”  
  
Taehyun laughed as Beomgyu twirled him around, leaning down and holding Taehyun by the waist. Beomgyu leaned in to complete the kiss and after they separated they stood underneath the night sky, Taehyun’s head resting in the crook of Beomgyu’s neck.  
  
Taehyun spoke with only love and endearment in his voice, “Anywhere is fine. As long as I have you by my side and the stars and moon as our audience.”

**Author's Note:**

> You who are reading this are the stars and the moon.


End file.
